What Seattle saved first

Four decades ago, Seattle’s first landmarks established

BY LEVI PULKKINEN, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Published 11:45 pm, Monday, May 5, 2014

Click through for a look at the first batch of landmark buildings recognized by the city of Seattle. Also included are photos of buildings recognized by the National Register of Historic Places during by the mid-1970s.
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Click through for a look at the first batch of landmark buildings...

St. Spiridon Cathedral – 400 Yale Ave. N. – Built during 1937 and 1938, St. Spiridon, “with its five onion domes, is readily identifiable to passersby as a Russian church. Spiritual home to the more liberal members of the Russian community, the present building was erected following a split in the community regarding the present Russian regime. In design, this brink church is based on traditional 16th century Russian church, with slight modifications.” Photo by ROBIN LAYTON, 4/28/1999
Photo: ROBIN LAYTON, -

St. Spiridon Cathedral – 400 Yale Ave. N. – Built during 1937...

Stimson-Green House – 1204 Minor Ave. – Built in 1901, the “fine, large English Tudor-style house, designed by Kirtland K. Cutter of Spokane, represents a way of life long past. This magnificent mansion was built by C.D. Stimson, who dominated lumber and real estate in Seattle, and from 1914 was owned by Joshua Green, shipping and banking baron. But for minor changes, the house and its opulent furnishings are virtually as they were in 1901, and provide a look at the lifestyle of Seattle’s nouveau-riche at the turn of the century. The use of many richly crafted fine woods makes the interior especially notable.”
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Stimson-Green House – 1204 Minor Ave. – Built in 1901, the...

Ballard Avenue Landmark District – Ballard Avenue Northwest between Northwest Market Street and Dock Place – Created in a ceremony attended by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustav, the district “was originally the business district of the independent community of Ballard. Ballard was founded largely by Scandinavians in the late 19th century and was annexed by Seattle in 1907. The district was created to protect the consistent architectural and historical character of Ballard Avenue. Within the district may be seen a continuum of architectural styles covering the period from the late 1890s to the 1940s.” The area remains the now nearly glitzy heart of Ballard, and is home to the Sunday farmers market.
Photo: ANDY ROGERS, -

Ballard Avenue Landmark District – Ballard Avenue Northwest...

Flatiron Building – 551 First Ave. S. – Built between 1908 and 1910, “this tiny triangular building, designed by C.A. Breitung, may once have been listed in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not as the smallest hotel west of the Rockies. Of brick and concrete, its style is more closely related to building design of the 1880s that to its contemporaries. It was built by pioneer Seattle businessman Victor Hugo Smith for $22,00, and in three stories and a full basement combined mercantile business in the basement and ground floor with an eight room hotel on the upper floors – an innovative use of a tiny lot.” Pictured in a King County Assessor’s Office photo.
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Flatiron Building – 551 First Ave. S. – Built between 1908 and...

Queen Anne Walls – Queen Anne Boulevard – These retaining walls were designed by W.R.B. Willcox, the same architect who designed the Lake Washington Arboretum Aqueduct, and built in 1913. “Of reinforced concrete with decorative brickwork, the walls vary in height from four feet to 22 feet. They represent, with their balustrades and lighting, a fine example of Willcox’ ability to combine functional utility with beauty and good design.” The walls are pictured above on Nov. 6, 1917 in a Seattle Municipal Archives photo.
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Queen Anne Walls – Queen Anne Boulevard – These retaining walls...

Ellsworth Storey Houses – 260 and 270 Dorffel Drive East – Built in 1902, these two “frame residences with painted trim and naturally weathered shingle siding are a prime example of the work of this important Northwest architect.” One of the homes belonged to Storey, while the other was built for his parents. Storey is described as “basically a forerunner of the Northwest Style.”
Photo: BY JORDAN STEAD/SEATTLEPI.COM

Ellsworth Storey Houses – 260 and 270 Dorffel Drive East –...

Trinity Parish Episcopalian Church – 609 Eighth Ave. – Built in 1891 and added on to in 1902, the church stands above Interstate 5 on First Hill. “Designed by John Graham, it is English Country Gothic in style, and of solid stone masonry. Many of the stained glass windows are of the original 1891 designs. Its interior features an ornamental pulpit, railings and altar, as well as an organ brought ‘around the Horn’ in 1902.” King County Assessor’s Office photo.
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Trinity Parish Episcopalian Church – 609 Eighth Ave. – Built in...

Chinese Community Bulletin Board – 511 Seventh Ave. S. – “Long a landmark within Seattle’s International District, this wall serves as the only public means of posting news, messages and current events as a source of information for those senior citizens who read no English. Even to the non-Asian who does not comprehend the graceful calligraphy, the impact and significance of the board are recognized.” It is presently locked behind a chain-link fence.
Photo: BY JORDAN STEAD/SEATTLEPI.COM

Chinese Community Bulletin Board – 511 Seventh Ave. S. –...

Twentieth Avenue Northeast Bridge – 20th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 62nd Street – Build during 1913 and 1914, the bridge is described as an “excellent example of a steel 3-hinged arch bridge … developed for its pleasing appearance, economy of construction and flexibility under stress.” Cast over Ravenna Park, the bridge was once a key resource to developing the area north of the ravine where what remains of Ravenna Creek now flows. Pictured in a Seattle Municipal Archive photo.
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Twentieth Avenue Northeast Bridge – 20th Avenue Northeast and...

First Church of Christ, Scientist – 1519 E. Denny Way – Constructed in 1914, the “neo-Classic church is built of Indiana limestone and New Hampshire granite, and was designed by the firm Bebb & Mendel. Its interior details include marble flooring in the foyer, very fine stained glass windows and stained glass dome, highly crafted plaster work, and solid oak doors, seats, and trim. The main auditorium floor slopes down to the rostrum and has arched extensions on three sides, all of which give emphasis to the importance of the congregation in a church of this sort.”
Photo: Joshua Trujillo, -

First Church of Christ, Scientist – 1519 E. Denny Way –...

First Methodist Protestant Church – 128 16th Ave. E. – “The second oldest congregation in the city” built the sandstone structure in 1906. “There is exterior use of stained/leaded glass and a fine dome, the designs of which incorporate symbols of the world’s major cultures. This church is an excellent example of Gothic Revival design. The plan is particularly interesting since the main auditorium space is cleverly located on the bias within the external cruciform masses.” Pictured in a King County Assessor’s Office photo.
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First Methodist Protestant Church – 128 16th Ave. E. – “The...

Old Main Street School – 307 Sixth Ave. S. – Built in 1873, the school was described as “probably the oldest public building in the city” and Seattle’s second school house. “It is, quite simply, and excellent example of architecture responding to the simple needs of a two-room schoolhouse in the 1870s.” Pictured in 1921 in a Webster & Stevens photo held by the Washington Museum of History and Industry.
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Old Main Street School – 307 Sixth Ave. S. – Built in 1873, the...

Ward House – 520 E. Denny Way – Among the last of Seattle’s Italianate homes, the 1882 building followed a style “extremely popular in America” at the time. “Built by pioneer businessman George Ward, it is notable for its Victorian-area details, such as bay windows, decorative shingles and decorative brackets and casings.” The home is pictured above in a city of Seattle sketch.
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Ward House – 520 E. Denny Way – Among the last of Seattle’s...

St. Nicholas Cathedral – 1714 13th Ave. – Build from 1932 to 1938, “St. Nicholas was built by the more conservative members of the Russian community. Here, as in St. Spiradon, the large central onion dome and four flanking smaller domes represent Christ and the four Apostles. Unlike St. Spiradon, this is a frame building which is faced with brick.” The writer goes on to note that Seattle’s first Russian church was established in 1898.
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St. Nicholas Cathedral – 1714 13th Ave. – Build from 1932 to...

West Queen Anne Elementary School – 515 W. Galer Street – Founded in 1896 and added on to through 1934, “this significant focal point on Queen Anne Hill is one of the only two wholly intact buildings constructed prior to 1900 still in use. … It was designed by the firm Skillings and Corner and combined brick and stone in a modification of the style known as Richardsonian Romanesque, popular for public and commercial buildings from 1885 and 1900.”
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West Queen Anne Elementary School – 515 W. Galer Street –...

Seattle Buddhist Church – 1427 S. Main St. – Built in 1914, “the building combines traditional Japanese architectural elements, such as large eaves with upturned corners and decorative roof ridge and gables, with contemporary construction methods and materials. The religious elements – shrine, elaborately carved and gilded altar, screens, lanterns, ect. – are its most important features.” The building was designed by Yoshio Arai, and is still in use. The church is pictured above in a 1962 photo held by the Seattle Municipal Archives.
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Seattle Buddhist Church – 1427 S. Main St. – Built in 1914,...

Old Firehouse No. 3 – 301 Terry Avenue— Built in 1903, the building “was designed in Tudor style in order to blend into its then-residential neighborhood. It also contains many reminders of its original use for horse-drawn equipment. Especially notable are the half-timbered upper floor, with fine wood detailing, and intricate brackets under the eaves.”
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Old Firehouse No. 3 – 301 Terry Avenue— Built in 1903, the...

Old Firehouse No. 18 – 5427 Russell Ave. N.W. – Built in 1911, the firehouse was in continuous use for 64 years. “The stepped gables, and large overhanging eaves with large wooden brackets link it with Germanic architectural styles, possibly in response to the large number of northern European and Scandinavian residents in the Ballard area which it served.” Trusses supported the upper stories, leaving the ground floor free of interior columns. Pictured in a 1969 Seattle Municipal Archive photo.
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Old Firehouse No. 18 – 5427 Russell Ave. N.W. – Built in 1911,...

Old Firehouse No. 23 – 18th Avenue and East Columbia Street – Built in 1909, the firehouse “was built originally for horse-drawn equipment. Motorized equipment took over in 1922. Of no particular style, this building is an honest architectural response to the specialized needs of a firehouse. It is a highly successful example of adaptive re-use of historic structures … remaining a significant visual feature of the neighborhood, as well as contributing to the cultural life of the community.” Pictured in a 1923 photo held by the Seattle Municipal Archive.
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Old Firehouse No. 23 – 18th Avenue and East Columbia Street –...

Old Firehouse No. 25 – Harvard Avenue and East Union Street – Seattle’s first brick firehouse built in 1909, “Firehouse 25 was also unique for its terraced equipment bays necessitated by its hillside location. Originally designed for horse-drawn equipment, stables, barn and horse stalls were located in the rear of the building. The last horse-drawn wagon was replaced in 1920. It also served as the Fire Department’s blacksmith shop, from which the smithy made his rounds of the other firehouses.”
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Old Firehouse No. 25 – Harvard Avenue and East Union Street –...

Old Firehouse No. 33 – 62nd Avenue South near South Ryan Street – “Of a modified Tudor style, Firehouse 33 was designed by City Architect D.R. Huntington to blend into the residential neighborhood where it is located. It was designed for horse-drawn equipment, which it housed until 1924. Interestingly, its hose tower was sunk into the ground rather than extended above the roof line in a further effort at blending into the neighborhood.” The firehouse was built in 1914, and sold to private owners in the mid-1970s. Pictured in a 1927 Seattle Municipal Archives photo.
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Old Firehouse No. 33 – 62nd Avenue South near South Ryan Street...

Arboretum Aqueduct – Built around 1913 “this handsome reinforced concrete and brick structure carries a pipe and footpath across Lake Washington Boulevard, creating an interesting entrance to the Arboretum. It was designed by W.R.B. WIllcox, who practiced architecture in the East prior to coming to Seattle and, in 1914, went on to chair the Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon.” As it turned out in 2008, the aqueduct is not tour bus friendly.
Photo: Dan DeLong, P-I File

Arboretum Aqueduct – Built around 1913 “this handsome...

Keep clicking for a look at some of Seattle’s earliest
additions to the National Register of Historic Places. Union Station – Fourth Avenue South and South Jackson Street – Union Station and vicinity, pictured from Smith Tower in a Seattle Municipal Archives photo.
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When Seattle’s leaders started locking down its physical history 40 years ago, those were among the first spots they saved.

Sometimes derided as a city without history, Seattle set to work protecting its landmark structures four decades ago when the city council adopted a system to protect notable structures and places.

Having begun the process two years before, the city government created a landmark preservation board in 1973 and began nominating buildings for protection the following year. With the paint barely beginning to fade on the gems and eyesores tossed up for the 1962 World’s Fair, the city began protecting its built history.

In a recent trip to the Seattle Public Library’s central branch, a Seattle Room librarian directed me to a collection of cards printed in 1977 recognizing the city’s first batch of landmarks. Introducing the series, then-Mayor Wes Uhlman described the fledgling preservation effort as an attempt at saving “significant aspects of (Seattle’s) heritage.”

“The first results of these efforts are depicted in this publication – landmark properties and a new landmark district which demonstrate the rich and varied fabric of our city now recognized and protected,” Uhlman wrote in the introductory card. “Only by pursuing such procedures and processes as we have established can we continue our important commitment to preserving significant elements of our historic past for future generations.”

The nomination, review and preservation process put in place more than a generation ago continues to churn out new landmarks, though the new additions aren’t quite the same caliber as those protected early on.

Click through the gallery above for a look at the structures protected during the first run, as well as sites already listed on the National Register of Historic Places at that time. The captions accompanying the first city-designated landmarks include statements from the 1977 commemoration. A word of warning – while not derogatory, some of the racial and ethnic identifiers used in the cards are of their time.